Blow Out18

Directed by Brian De Palma | USA | 1981 | 1h 48m | Starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz, Curt May

A sound technician accidentally records evidence of a political assassination while working on a low-budget horror film. As he delves deeper into the mystery, he becomes entangled in a deadly conspiracy. With its stylistic flourishes and a gritty portrayal of early-1980s Philadelphia, De Palma’s Hitchcockian take on Antonioni’s Blow Up is both a paranoid thriller reflective of its political era and a devilish meditation on the art of filmmaking.

Classic Season: Surveillance

Reviews

‘A horror movie, a paranoid political drama and a serial killer flick all at once.’
★★★★★
Kevin Maher, The Times

‘A movie which continues [De Palma] practice of making cross-references to other movies, other directors, and actual historical events, and which nevertheless is his best and most original work.’
★★★★
Roger Ebert

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Blow Out between July 6, 2024 and July 8, 2024.

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Today (Thursday 29th May)
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15:30

Riefenstahl 15
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A complex portrait of pioneering filmmaker and Nazi propagandist, Leni Riefenstahl. This critical documentary interrogates her legacy, exploring the enduring tension between artistry, denial, and complicity in the darkest chapter of cinema history.

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18:00

The Marriage of Maria Braun 15
2h | German w/ English subtitles
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A young bride loses her soldier husband to war but rises through postwar Germany’s ranks with fierce ambition. Fassbinder’s masterpiece is a gripping portrait of survival, power, and a nation eager to rewrite its dark past.

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20:45

The Wedding Banquet 15
1h 43m
A green-card marriage plan goes off the rails when a gay man's grandmother unexpectedly arrives in America expecting a traditional Korean wedding. This vibrant remake of Ang Lee’s classic celebrates queer love, family chaos, and cultural identity.

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Tomorrow (Friday 30th May)
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16:00

Motel Destino 18
1h 55m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
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18:30

Hallow Road 15
1h 20m
A frantic late-night call sets a family on a collision course with truth, guilt, and unraveling loyalty. Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys star in this tense, morally complex thriller from BAFTA-winning British-Iranian director Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow).

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20:30

Good One 15
1h 30m
On a three-day backpacking trip, 17-year-old Sam navigates the tense dynamics between her father and his oldest friend. When boundaries are crossed and trust is broken, simmering conflicts erupt in India Donaldson's perceptive debut.

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Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

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